Sector

Manchester Central is now celebrating ten years since becoming an exhibition and conference centre. The venue’s new CEO Shaun Hinds has clear views on its next decade, in terms of industry disruption, the evolution of meetings and events, extending the conference experience beyond the event itself, and in the use of technology. From the editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

According to the Incentive Research Foundation’s 2016 Event Disruption study, 59% of planners in 2015 and 2016 and had to deal with outside disturbances to their meeting itineraries. One brave Iceberg partner journalist signed up to sample a unique dinner-in-the-sky experience in London. Sadly sometimes even a suspended event has to be… erm… suspended. From the editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

Whilst direct spend on business and professional events – the tip of the iceberg – is relatively easy to quantify, their legacy return on investment has always been harder to assess. ROI specialist Michael Piddock of Glisser links its measurement to the goals an event is seeking to achieve, be these in revenue, reputation, relationships or recall. From Meetings & Conventions…

Small may be beautiful… but it does make economies of scale harder to achieve and is a niche that businesses either overlook or manage on an ad hoc basis. Two corporate meetings chiefs offer their thoughts on how best to think big about small, particularly in regards to the use of technology. From Business Travel News…

With campaigners against Texas’s proposed “bathroom bill” claiming the state has already suffered $66 million of convention business cancellations because of the proposed legislation – the exact figure is the subject of some dispute – US Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow says boycotts are the wrong way to campaign however well-intentioned their aim. From Meetings & Conventions…

“Uneasy lies the head of the PCO” to adapt Shakespeare. But what should a PCO’s guiding principles be in designing a conference or exhibition? What works really well and what really does not? Principles 1 – 5 are listed on the article page. Click through issue 7 of the full magazine at the bottom for 6 – 10. From the Event…

Whether it’s all about the cost of the airfare itself or of the transportation from the airport, whether it’s about the pricing of the meeting’s accommodation, food and beverages, Wi-Fi access or off-site venues, views on what constitutes affordability in the meetings industry are as many and varied as are the events themselves. From Successful Meetings…

AI or artificial intelligence is widely perceived as a paradigm shift in computing that will supplant human labour rather than assisting or complementing it. But far from driverless vehicles or robots replacing human workers, it may be in less obvious areas like attendee profile matchmaking that the invisible technology truly comes into its own. From Meetings & Conventions…

Last year the US Department of Labor announced its Fiduciary Conflict of Interest Rule, which was supported by President Obama, then delayed but not repealed by President Trump. Coming into full effect next January, the rule covers compensation – including gifts or trips – to those providing financial advice on retirement planning. The incentives industry is directly affected. From Meetings & Conventions…

Positive event trajectory, positive event perception, relationship growth, and experience satisfaction. Rather than bombarding delegates with too many feedback questions, these are the meaningful reactions to benchmark. Lisette Sheehan and Lyndsay Merbach, measurement experts at the Sparks agency and 2017 PCMA Education Conference speakers, discuss the metrics that matter to planners in improving their events. From PCMA Convene…

The Manchester Arena bombing on May 22nd has highlighted the extreme challenges venue operators face in keeping visitors safe at events. Perhaps the changing threat landscape now demands closer collaboration between venues, events… and their respective communities. Geoff Donaghy is President of AIPC (the International Association of Convention Centres) and CEO of ICC Sydney. From tw tagungswirtschaft…

More on the fight for Brand USA! MPI President and CEO Paul van Deventer has attacked the proposed cutting of its federal funding. He points out that meetings contribute 15% of the overall US travel and tourism dividend. Also campaigning on the grounds of economic contribution, Katie O’Neill of the Power of Travel Coalition. From Meetpie.com…

The fight for Brand USA continues. A loud voice of opposition to the proposed cut to the organisation’s federal funding, US Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow, has made a video calling for a rethink and encouraging Congress to keep funding in place. Congress has the final say, and has previously supported Brand USA. From Meetings & Conventions…

How does President Trump’s proposed withdrawal of funding for Brand USA – the Obama-created organisation which promotes the US as a welcoming destination for visitors – square with his commitment to putting American jobs first? Two key president CEOs – the US Travel Association’s Roger Dow and PCMA’s Deborah Sexton – lead the meetings industry call to arms. By David McMillin at PCMA…

The Iceberg prefers to cover travel news directly impacting the meetings industry. But like the story of United Airlines before it, British Airways and its IT outage – which grounded flights around the world and caused chaos at Heathrow and Gatwick airports – is in truth a cautionary tale of crisis and brand mismanagement for all to hear. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

The horrific suicide bombing at a concert in Manchester Arena was the deadliest terror attack in the UK for almost twelve years. In weeks to come it will pose tough questions for venue operators and the rest of the industry. But the days immediately following the outrage were for reflection and solidarity. Photo: Tomasz Kozlowski. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

IMEX is now over for another year. The last day may be like Sunday at the Glastonbury Festival – perhaps with slightly less mud – but in amongst the networking frenzy and preparations for a return to reality, take a quiet moment to appreciate IMEX’s spiritual home… the German city of Frankfurt. From the editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

US medical conferences are currently braced for impact as a result of changes to the rules under which European medical technology suppliers operate. Not only may delegate numbers be badly hit, the medtech companies themselves may also be less willing to attend and exhibit at events when they can no longer sponsor delegations. From PCMA Convene…

With the UK Prime Minister Theresa May just having called an early general election, a viral BBC interview highlights the electoral fatigue Britain is now feeling after the outcome of its Brexit ballot. But perhaps Brits – including the UK meetings industry – should consider the June poll a second referendum on EU membership… and vote accordingly. From the editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

Another view on the United Airlines Flight 3411 debacle tackles the story from a US passenger rights – rather than reputation management – perspective. The Business Travel Coalition’s Kevin Mitchell argues that the legal protections available to passengers need strengthening. He advocates supporting the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights sponsored by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. From Meetings & Conventions…

As lawyers now tuck into the meal United Airlines just made of what should have been an instant and profuse apology, the sorry story of Flight 3411 already merits its own chapter in textbooks of bad brand management. But the carrier has history here: a musical tragedy that became a hit YouTube video. From Martin Lewis at Meetpie.com…